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New York Philharmonic Strikes Chord with De Profundis

Details: Parent Category: Film and the Arts; Category: Reviews; Published on Thursday, 19 October 2023 14:38; Written by Jack Angstreich

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla conducts New York Philharmonic. Photo by Chris Lee.

At Lincoln Center’s wonderful new David Geffen Hall on the night of Saturday, October 14th, I had the great pleasure to attend an outstanding concert—the second subscription program of the current season—presented by the excellent musicians of the New York Philharmonic under the remarkable direction of the young Lithuanian conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla in her debut with this ensemble.

The event began impressively with a lucid account of the striking, intense and solemn De profundis for string orchestra from 1998 by the contemporary Lithuanian composer, Raminta Šerkšnytė. (The work is strangely reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann’s magnificent score for the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece, Psycho.) I here reproduce Šerkšnytė’s interesting note on the piece:

This dramatic music, full of contrasts, reflects a certain worldview of a young person (this is my first orchestral composition, which was written as the bachelor’s graduation work). At a young age life is perceived in an extreme, “severe” way, where euphoria quickly changes to disappointment. One searches for the extraordinary, transcendental experience both in life as well as in art, believing in the profound power of the art sacredness. Therefore the opus was named “from the depths” (Latin — “de profundis”), though making no reckoning of the historical “De profundis” tradition.

The composer, who was in the audience, entered the stage to receive the audience’s acclaim.

The brilliant soloist, Daniil Trifonov, then joined the artists for a magisterial rendition of Robert Schumann’s admirable, archetypally Romantic Piano Concerto. The opening Allegro affettuoso movement is surprisingly meditative and lyrical but with grand and virtuosic—even turbulent—passages. The more classicizing Intermezzo, marked Andante grazioso,recalls the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven and is somewhat lighter in mood, while the Allegro vivace finale is highly spirited, even effervescent. Ardent applause elicited a fabulous encore: the pianist’s own exquisite transcription—which he has recorded—of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s immensely popularVocalise.

Even more memorable, however, was the second half of the evening: a splendorous realization of three selections from the marvelous Lemminkäinen Suite of Jean Sibelius. The almost inexplicably too seldom performed Lemminkäinen and the Maidens of the Island was captivating and stirring and the haunting and mysterious The Swan of Tuonela is one of the composer’s finest achievements—it featured a superb Ryan Roberts on the English horn. The program concluded dynamically with the more suspenseful and celebratory Lemminkäinen’s Return.

I look forward with considerable excitement to the following week’s subscription concert with early music by György Ligeti and the first Serenade of Johannes Brahms.

October '23 Digital Week II

Details: Parent Category: Film and the Arts; Category: Reviews; Published on Thursday, 19 October 2023 01:24; Written by Kevin Filipski

4K/UHD Releases of the Week

The Wicker Man—50th Anniversary

(Lionsgate)

This dazzlingly effective 1973 occult thriller by director Robin Hardy and screenwriter Anthony Shaffer authentically and creepily depicts a deeply religious, Druid-like society on a remote Scottish isle whose people lure an unsuspecting detective from the mainland and he becomes fodder for their rituals. What begins as a murder mystery almost imperceptibly morphs into a horror film with an unforgettable finale—and final shot.

Edward Woodward (detective) and Christopher Lee (pagan leader) have never been better; the spectacular supporting cast is led by Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento and Ingrid Pitt. Lionsgate’s 50th anniversary steelbook includes Hardy’s final cut, which looks luminous on both 4K and Blu-ray, accentuating the gorgeous photography by Harry Waxman; extras include several vintage and new featurettes and interviews.

The Mist

(Lionsgate)

Frank Darabont’s 2007 adaptation of a Stephen King story has its adherents—just like his overrated Shawshank Redemption and stultifying The Green Mile—but it’s just another competently made, occasionally eerie but crude attempt at social commentary wrapped in an apocalyptic thriller.

The main interest in rewatching this ungainly Twilight Zone/Stanley Kramer hybrid is the B&W version, which Darabont prefers—it’s OK but has barely more resonance than the color version. Both cuts are included on 4K and Blu-ray, and they look quite exceptional. Extras are Darabont’s commentary with producer Denise Huth; deleted scenes with Darabont’s commentary; and a conversation between Darabont and King.

Talk to Me

(A24/Lionsgate)

This sleeper box-office hit is a clever but routine horror flick about a disembodied hand that a group of teenagers conjures spirits with but who soon unleash forces they can’t understand or control. Directors Danny and Michael Philippou play around with horror flick conventions but bow to too many of its tropes, like jump scares, illogical dream sequences and a nagging feeling that extremely stupid people who do dumb things aren’t worth watching.

In the lead, Sophie Wilde carries the film with an impressive maturity, which helps ease the sting of an insipid 90 minutes that promises—or threatens—a sequel. The film looks flawless on 4K; extras include the brothers’ commentary, deleted scenes and a making-of featurette.

In-Theater/Streaming Releases of the Week

Beautiful City

(Film Movement Classics)

In Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s sophomore feature, A’la and Firoozeh, the sister of his imprisoned friend Ahmed, now 18 (he killed his girlfriend at 16 and is now of age to be executed), visit the victim’s father to convince him to forgive Ahmed, which may reduce his death sentence.

Grave moral complexities abound in Farhadi’s script, which is less meaningful than ponderous—perhaps he should waited until later in his career to make the film. Still, there are moments of insight and precise observation, and his leads, Babak Ansari (A’la) and Taraneh Alidoosti (Firoozeh), carry the heavy weight.

Cat Person

(Studio Canal/Rialto)

Based on Kristen Roupenians’ short story in The New Yorker, Susanna Fogel’s psychological drama follows 20-year-old Margot, who meets the older Robert cutely at the movie theater concession stand where she works—her best friend says she should just text him, but Margot decides to take the plunge: they go on dates, she goes to his home, they have sex, but all the while she’s worried he might be a sadistic serial killer.

Before losing control with a copout ending that strains credulity, Fogel has made an alarming cautionary tale about the contemporary dating scene, anchored by Emilia Jones’ dazzling performance as Margot—and Nicholas Braun as Robert ain’t too shabby either.

Divinity

(Utopia)

Writer, director and producer Eddie Alcazar’s off-kilter and wildly uneven sci-fi adventure touches on immortality but never reaches the desired results, whether visually or narratively.

Part of the problem is that there’s not much in the way of characterization, so Scott Bakula and Stephen Dorff are unable to do much with their characters. Alcazar knows how to film attractive women in B&W, so Karrueche Tran, Bella Thorne and adult-film star Emily Willis are given a loving photographic treatment.

Plan C

(Level 33 Entertainment)

Tracy Droz Tragos’ impassioned documentary follows several brave women trying to ensure that others, in the face of ever dwindling resources, have access to the mail-order “abortion pill.” With state legislatures regularly closing avenues for women to have safe, legal abortions, these pills—which are also under fire—are the only way to keep the patriarchal government from having complete control of their bodies.

Including intimate interviews and guerrilla-style camerawork providing a record of the many ways they (and the opposition) are working, Tragos provides a valuable and necessary window into one of the most urgent political and moral issues of our time.

Blu-ray Releases of the Week

Beast From Haunted Cave

(Film Masters)

Two real curios from the stable of shoestring producer Roger Corman comprise this release, the first being a risibly Z-grade 1959 horror flick about a giant spider-like monster terrorizing a group of thieves who’ve just pulled off a heist; directed by later indie darling Monte Hellman, it’s entertaining in a car-crash kind of way.

The second, 1960’s Ski Troop Attack, is an ambitious but naive war movie made by Corman himself with much of the same cast and in the same locales; it’s slightly easier to watch. The films look decent in hi-def; extras are the longer TV version of Beast; commentaries on both films; a featurette, Hollywood Intruders: The Filmgroup Story: Part One; and an easter egg.

Between Two Worlds

(Cohen Media)

In Emmanuel Carrère’s incisive drama, Juliette Binoche gives her usual intensely committed performance as Marianne Winckler, a writer posing as an unemployed divorcee who takes a menial cleaning job in order to detail an exposé about corrupt practices.

Based on investigative journalist Florence Aubenas’ book—a French bestseller when it was published in 2010—Binoche and Carrère have created a harrowing look at what is mainly a problem for women, which is probably why it hasn’t gotten more coverage or traction in the media or with politicians. The film looks fine on Blu.

The Last Island

(Cult Epics)

The film Dutch writer-director Marlene Gorris made before her international breakthrough, 1992’s Antonia’s Line, is a quite astonishing progressive tract set in the aftermath of a plane crash where its 7 survivors—5 men and 2 women—handle power games on the deserted island that touch on sexuality, gender and social status. Gorris handles this shopworn material with skillful finesse, making insightful points without hammering them home.

There’s a fantastic central performance by Shelagh McLeod as the only fertile woman left alive. The restored hi-def transfer is good; extras comprise producer Dick Mass’ audio intro, film scholar Peter Verstraten’s audio commentary, behind the scenes footage, and a 1990 interview with political columnist Annemarie Grewel.

Strays

(Universal)

I was actually surprised that this wasn’t a bigger hit with audiences: I assumed that having Jamie Foxx and Will Farrell playing foulmouthed talking dogs would be an automatic box-office bonanza. But, on the other hand, there’s only so much you can watch of playful dogs running around chatting about bodily functions and fluids before you tune out.

Maybe a 20-minute short would have worked better, but director Josh Greenbaum and writer Dan Perrault pile on the vulgarity for 90 minutes; at least the real canines are adorable. There’s an excellent hi-def transfer; extras are several featurettes and interviews.

CD Releases of the Week

John Corigliano/Mark Adamo—The Lord of Cries

(Pentatone)

For his latest opera, composer John Corigliano has collaborated with his partner, Mark Adamo, who wrote the libretto for a bizarre and not entirely successful mashup of Euripides’ The Bacchae and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. For his part, Corigliano has dressed up the plot in colorful but unsettling music that explores the strange world of dreams and nightmares.

This premiere recording, performed last year in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a riveting listen, with an exciting cast of singers like Anthony Roth Costanzo, Kathryn Henry and Matt Boehler, most of whom appeared in the 2021 world premiere at Santa Fe. Conductor Gil Rose leads a vivid account by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and Odyssey Opera Chorus.

Hans Werner Henze—The Raft of the Medusa

(Capriccio)

German composer Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012), always a committed left-wing radical, composed this dramatically scorching oratorio based on the true story of the shipwreck of a French frigate in 1816 that also served as the basis of the famous Théodore Géricault painting. The piece (which Henze dedicated as a Requiem to leftist rebel Che Guevara) comprises spoken narration, beautiful solo vocal lines, alternately aggressive and tender passages, and a heavenly choral finale, all underscored by the driven, often percussive music.

This first-rate 2017 recording is led by conductor Cornelius Meister, who marshals the mighty forces of the Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Boys Choir and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. The estimable vocal soloists are soprano Sarah Wegener, baritone Dietrich Henschel and speaker Sven-Eric Bechtoff.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Performs at Carnegie Hall

Details: Parent Category: Film and the Arts; Category: Reviews; Published on Wednesday, 18 October 2023 14:53; Written by Jack Angstreich

Chicago Symphony Orchestra, photo by Todd Rosenberg

At Carnegie Hall on the evening of Thursday, October 5th, I had the enormous privilege to attend a magnificent concert—the second of two on consecutive nights and a brilliant inauguration of the new season at this venue—of music with an Italian theme, presented by the stellar artists of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the magisterial direction of Riccardo Muti, probably the most revered living conductor.

The program began beautifully with an impeccable account of Philip Glass’s remarkableThe Triumph of the Octagon, commissioned by this ensemble and here receiving its New York premiere; below I quote in its entirety the note on it by the composer (who was in attendance and stood to receive the audience’s acclaim):

In February 2022, I traveled to Chicago for performances of my Symphony No. 11. It was a thrill to hear this great orchestra and conductor in the hall where I would visit as a student in the early 1950s. After those performances, we began conversations about writing a new piece specifically for this orchestra with the initial idea to create an “Adagio for Muti.” The final title of the work came from a suggestion from Maestro Riccardo Muti about Castel del Monte, a 13th-century castle in southeastern Italy.

The mystery of this ancient place and the uniqueness of its geometric proportions, specifically its eight octagonal towers, was an interesting catalyst; while I have written music about people, places, events, and cultures, I cannot recall ever composing a piece about a building. What became clear was that I was not writing a piece about Castel del Monte per se, but rather about one’s imagination when we consider such a place.

I dedicate this work to Maestro Muti, in honor of his many successes as conductor of the CSO and important contributions to the world of music.

Even more impressive was a sterling rendition—indeed the finest I have ever encountered—of Felix Mendelssohn’s marvelous “Italian” Symphony. The initial Allegro vivace movement was fittingly effervescent and sparkling but not without depths of feeling and even quasi-mystical passages. (One could discern Schubertian echoes here and elsewhere in the work.) The ensuing Andante con moto sustained a kind of spiritual solemnity while the third movement—marked Con moto moderato—has a stately quality despite a certain levity and even more so in the weightier Trio section. The engaging Saltarello finale was turbulent and dynamic.

The second half of the event was comparably memorable with its stunning realization of Richard Strauss’s early, extraordinaryAus Italien.The opening movement—entitled “In the Country”—was evocative and both grand and lyrical and, like the piece as a whole, is more full-blown in its Romanticism than the classicizing Mendelssohn symphony is. The following movement—“Amid the Ruins of Rome”—was more intense and dramatic; the enchanting “On the Shores of Sorrento,” surprisingly has a pastoral character and the concluding “Neapolitan Folk Life” was ebullient. Enthusiastic applause was rewarded with a delightful encore: Giuseppe Verdi’s splendid Overture to his early opera,Giovanna d'Arco.

Broadway Play Review—Ossie Davis’ “Purlie Victorious” with Leslie Odom Jr.

Details: Parent Category: Film and the Arts; Category: Reviews; Published on Tuesday, 17 October 2023 02:55; Written by Kevin Filipski

Purlie Victorious—A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Written by Ossie Davis; directed by Kenny Leon

Performances scheduled through February 4, 2024

Music Box Theatre, 239 West 45th Street, NYC

Purlievictorious.com

Leslie Odom Jr. (center) in Purlie Victorious (photo: Marc J. Franklin)

Debuting on Broadway in 1961, Ossie Davis’ play Purlie Victorious is an overstuffed but angry comic riposte to the entrenched racism in the South as well as the rest of the country. Even Martin Luther King famously attended a performance of the original production at the Cort (now James Earl Jones) Theatre.

It’s 62 years later, but not much has changed—we’ve even gone backward in some ways. The still relevant play, set in “the Old South of the Recent Past,” is about Purlie, an itinerant preacher-con man, whose latest ploy is to fund his reclaiming of the local church by getting the $500 willed to their dead Cousin Bee that’s being held by Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee, the racist landowner for whom the preacher’s family works as sharecroppers. Purlie brings along a naive young woman who worships him, Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins, to impersonate Bee.

Davis obviously knows this plot is ridiculous—witness his winking subtitle, A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch. And if the play has too many easy laughs, it also has some horrifyingly funny observations about Black and whites that obtain today. After Purlie and Lutiebelle arrive, he speaks with his no-nonsense sister-in-law Missy about Purlie’s brother Gitlow, who might be an obstacle to their getting the money:

MISSY He ain’t as easy to stop as he used to be. Especially now Ol’ Cap’n’s made him Deputy-For-The-Colored.

PURLIE Deputy-For-The-Colored? What the devil is that?

MISSY Who knows? All I know is Gitlow’s changed his mind.

PURLIE But Gitlow can't change his mind!

MISSY Oh, it’s easy enough when you ain’t got much to start with.

As this exchange shows, there’s a lot of rat-a-tat-tat dialogue in Purlie Victorious. Franticness is built right into the play, and director Kenny Leon pushes the cast to accentuate it in both the physical comedy and the cutting words for an animated 100 minutes. Leon also gets great assists from Derek McLane’s elastic set, Emilio Sosa’s lively costumes, Adam Honore’s snazzy lighting, Peter Fitzgerald’s impeccable sound design and Guy Davis’ apposite music.

The rich performances gleefully play with and tweak racial stereotypes. Gitlow is given comic gravitas and a mournful musicality by Billy Eugene Jones and his outstanding song interludes. The redoubtable Jay O. Sanders (he of the stentorian voiceover of many PBS documentaries) is a screamingly hilarious Cap’n, intentionally—and perfectly—overdone.

Noah Robbins, as Cap’n’s son Charlie, who’s hoping to distance himself from his dad’s racism, and Vanessa Bell Calloway as Idella, Cap’n’s housekeeper who raised Charlie like her own son, provide solid laughs. Heather Alicia Simms’ Missy gives as good as she gets with vicious comebacks to Gitlow or Purlie. Kara Young—already earmarked for Broadway greatness with recent appearances in Clyde and Cost of Living—gives a master class in physical comedy as Lutiebelle, expertly using her body like a contortionist, along with minutely changeable facial expressions that bring to mind masters of TV’s golden age including Milton Berle and Lucille Ball.

Then there’s Leslie Odom Jr.’s Purlie, a delicious star turn that plays to the audience at every turn. His innate charm and formidable stage presence make us riveted to whatever he does, whether it’s confronting Cap’n or giving a stirring speech in church. Odom grabs Davis’ satisfying satire and makes it even more urgent—and entertaining.

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